Modern children are under pressure. High standards, fast-changing life, complicated relationships with schoolmates and parents make them feel anxious and depressed. If a child wants to succeed at school, he must show excellent results, complete challenging projects, lead active social life and learn a body of information. Homework is one of the most difficult assignments students have to complete at the elementary school or college. What if it is too complicated to them? How much homework is too much for kids? In our article, we’ll find out how too much homework may affect health and productivity, and how parents may help their kids with this task.

Why Students Need Homework?

Homework is an essential part of education. It provides plenty of benefits and may improve students’ grades and knowledge. Here are the obvious facts that prove homework is beneficial to kids.

When students do their assignment in the evening, it helps to reinforce knowledge.

It helps to train crucial skills like time management and problem-solving.

Parents can see children’s results and help them to level up their knowledge.

It is a good practice that is the only way to train automatic skills and remember the information.

Students have to train their skills at home, read books, and complete various tasks. Parents can be involved in this process. It helps to strengthen family relations and improve the learning process. The key to succeeding with homework is a balance. Enormous assignments can be harmful to students and make education less effective.

How Much Homework is Too Much? Negative Affect of Too Much Homework

Every teacher is responsible to the amount of tasks he gives students to finish at home. It is important because young children don’t have to work on the tasks at night. Such activities must be engaging and useful. Teachers have to think about the effectiveness of the assignments. How does too much homework affect students? If you think about the answer to this question, let us give you a few negative effects of excessive homework at schools.

Decrease learning activity. Getting too much homework leads to a wrong attitude to education and lower overall grade of a student. If he spends hours to complete homework, he won’t have a mind to learn additional materials. It seems unrelated, but extra homework load reduces the ability to memorize other topics essential to a future career or personal life.

Worsen social communication. Children who have too much homework don’t have time to interact with schoolmates and friends. It is hard to communicate with other people and learn how to solve some issues that may occur if you don’t have enough experience.

Increase stress and ruin life balance. Spending spare time with complex tasks leads to an increased level of stress and other psychological issues. Students sleep less and have lower cognitive abilities at class.

Reduce productivity. If teachers give too much homework, children become overloaded. They don’t have the opportunity to develop their skills, solve issues, create interesting projects and more.

How much homework is too much in high school? This question doesn’t have a single answer. Every teacher has to choose his own strategy and try to make homework challenging and at the same time exciting and stimulating students to learn and become smarter.

How Parents May Help Children Who Have Too Much Homework?

Parents are responsible for their children’s health and well-being. If you see that your child is overwhelmed with assignments and spends all the time with homework, try to understand the reasons and find the solution.

Figure Out the Problem

To recognize the problem, you have to know how much homework is too much for a kid. There is a general 10-minute rule recommended by the National PTA. According to this rule, a first grader doesn’t have to spend more than 10 minutes on homework; a second grader doesn’t have to spend more than 20 minutes. Remember that the rule is general in schools, and every teacher may have specific requirements.

Check if Your Child is Focused on Homework

Sometimes, you may hear from your kid “I have too much homework.” Before you visit his teacher and blame him for some troubles, make sure that your child is focused enough on the particular task. It is a standard situation if children go to their room to complete homework but spend time by texting friends, watching videos or exploring Instagram. Limit the distractions of your kid and explain to him that attention concentrating is the key to success and may help to complete the work faster.

Check the Homework Corner of Your Child and Create Homework Routine

If you want to increase the productivity of your children, you have to ensure that they have a convenient studying place. There are some specific requirements to this working space according to the student’s age and demands. First of all, it should be comfortable and spacious. Try to figure out specific homework routine. It helps to develop organization and time management skills and complete the task on time.

Visit a Teacher if Needed

In some cases, it can be reasonable to say the teacher that your child has some troubles with homework. You may notice that your kid doesn’t have enough skills to complete the assignment or finish the task that takes 10 minutes in 40 minutes. Some issues with studying need your attention. Your child may need an additional class with the teacher, or he needs your help to train the memory and develop crucial skills. Say about your anxiety to the teacher and support your kid if he needs help with the learning process.

How to Find a Balance between School and Home?

A balance between school and home is the aim of many students. Sometimes it is hard to find it without the assistance of the loving parent, especially if you have too much homework and can’t deal with it by yourself. As a student, you have to read a lot of books and develop various skills. Learn how to organize your tasks, manage time, and increase productivity. It will help you to succeed in education and adult life.